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America to Open Full Relations with Libya

The United States has announced that it`s renewing full diplomatic relations with Libya and removing it from the State Department`s list of terrorism sponsors. The move completes a remarkable turnabout with a country whose leader was once at the top of the U.S. enemies list. Washington has not had normal relations with Libya since 1980, and blamed the country the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie that killed 270 people.

"Just as 2003 marked a turning point for the Libyan people, so too could 2006 mark turning points for the peoples of Iran and North Korea," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, leading international pressure on the two countries to limit their nuclear programs, said.

U.S.-Libya relations fully turned around after a thaw following Libya`s turning over suspects in the Lockerbie bombing case, and later Tripoli decided in December 2003 to give up its weapons program. Since then, the two nations have repeatedly said since then they would work to restore ties as Libya followed through on its pledge.